Hiro: The development of Excitebike 64 was handled by a company in America called Left Field. I jumped in partway through the development of the American version of the game to supervise. I would listen to the producer’s opinions and offer advice. For example, I suggested that they make it so that you can change direction in mid-air, and had them fix drifting so that it had a more satisfying feel to it. We finished the American version around the end of March and then started work on the Japanese version. I was basically the conduit between nations for the Japanese version, taking Nintendo’s opinions and proposing them to the people at Left Field. We didn’t just put the game into Japanese but also switched some stuff up for the Japanese version, so I think the game’s overall quality has been bumped up a grade.

– Excitebike was originally a Famicom title. Was it difficult to suddenly make the jump to the Nintendo 64?

Yeah, but I think people would have been disappointed if all we had done was change everything from pixels to 3D models. They seemed to be cognizant of that on the development side, as well. The fun of the Famicom version was adjusting the angle of your bike to the angle of the course as you land, and we’ve made it so that can be handled using the analog stick this time. In addition to the left-to-right aspect of dealing with corners, we’ve also included the front-to-back aspect of adjusting the angle of your bike according to the highs and lows of the course, which I feel really expands the title’s breadth as a game.

– Are there any major differences between the American and Japanese versions?

The Special Courses that were included in the American version as bonus material were really fun, so we decided to take that extra content and make it available from the get-go for the Japanese version. Doing so, however, means that the rewards we had in place for players to receive every time they finish a course in Championship Mode disappeared, so we had the game dole out passwords instead. So what we did is make a password screen that you can get to from the options menu, and if you input the password there you get to spice up the game’s visuals in interesting ways.

In the American version, the very concept of passwords was left a secret, and players would need to input a secret command to even access the password screen at all. Once you’re in, passwords would need to be found either on the internet or through word-of-mouth, but we decided to make it out so that passwords be handed out as rewards in the Japanese version. Putting in the password will let you, for example, make your rider’s head huge, or make the entire rider transparent. We figured that’s how we would have handled it had the game been made over at Nintendo R&D, so we decided to polish it up in that way.

– It’s not your average racing game, is it? Given the stunts, and all.

They have what are called “extreme sports” in America, so stuff like this technically falls under the same umbrella as something like skateboarding, for example. There’s also a sport that’s pretty close to Wave Race 64. It’s a racing game at heart, but it leans pretty heavily on the action side of things.

– It comes off as a bit of a hardcore title—will more casual players be able to enjoy it, as well?

Totally. As far as “extreme” games go, I feel like this one is easier to play than most. And if you get stuck on the main content, you can jump over to the special courses instead. There’s also a mode where you can play soccer while on your bike, so I’d like for everyone to check out what the game has to offer.

– What’s the trick to getting better?

You should definitely check out Training Mode. I know most people out there never bother with modes like those to begin with, but we put a lot of effort into making this one really comprehensive, so I think it would be in the player’s best interest to give it a whirl. Also, the rider with the best-balanced stats is a female character named Sarah Hill, so she would be a good choice for people who are just starting out.

– Which rider is your favorite?

Well, there’s this girl named Vicky Steele, you see… She looks similar to Risa Stegmayer, and I like that a lot. (laughs)

– If you have any secret tips to share, I would love to hear them.

In this game, you can put yourself into an “Overheat” mode where your bike begins to smoke if you lean on the turbo button too much. This was in the Famicom version too, but this overheat is different in that you can recover from it immediately by knocking down an enemy. When you’re just starting out, I expect people will be getting toppled by rival riders pretty often. This might be a bit frustrating at first, but if you let go of the accelerator or turbo button just as you collide with another rider, you won’t fall over. Training Mode is full of pro tips like this, so please give it a shot.

– Any parting words?

It may seem like a western game on the surface, but we on the Nintendo side have been there proposing ways to make it more “Nintendo-like” every step of the way, and I think that’s reflected in the final product. I would love for everyone to not dwell too heavily on how it looks, and just pick it up and give it a try.

]]>Excitebike 64http://timelyhoward.com/?p=349
Tue, 21 Apr 2015 02:34:53 +0000http://timelyhoward.com/?p=349Continue reading Excitebike 64→]]>This interview was originally published as part of the “Summer Games Collection” in issue #24 of Nintendo Online Magazine (August, 2000). Excitebike 64 was an interesting mid-way point in the Excite franchise’s history, as every installment made after this one would instead switch its focus to other popular vehicles such as trucks and, uh, robots. The interview itself is quite brief, dealing mainly with the differences between the American and Japanese versions of the game. I was surprised to learn how well the game was received at the time, although I probably shouldn’t have been. Most racing games on the Nintendo 64 were pretty good, after all.

Excitebike64 isn’t available for purchase anywhere, but you can download Excitebike on any recent Nintendo system. I also think the Excitebike levels were the best part of NES Remix, and if someone wants to fight me about that I’m more than willing.

Luc Besson and I had the same idea.(laughs)

– I feel like Crazy Taxi is completely unlike any game we’ve ever seen before. How did the project come about?

Kenji: Around when we started development the only games that were using cars in any meaningful way were all racing games, so we started to think of other fun ways they could be implemented. We thought about what we could be done if we made something in the vein of, for example, the kind of high-octane, action-packed car scenes where people tear through the streets in Hollywood action flicks? That was our starting point.

– Did you have a pretty good idea of how the game would play from the very beginning?

We took our time ironing out the rules and subject material. The idea to make the car a taxi came from when I was chatting with my team and one of the staff said “Wouldn’t it fun to hop in a taxi and just get flung around town?” The idea really stuck with me, and after we went through all of our ideas and separated the wheat from the chaff we decided to run with the taxi idea.

– A movie called TAXi came out at around the same time. Did it influence your work at all?

Not even a little bit. Development was already pretty far along by the time we had first heard about it and we were actually kind of worried that people might think we were ripping it off. I would appreciate it if people could think that Luc Besson and I just happened to have the same idea. (laughs)

– Were there any car action movies that you looked to for inspiration?

No, nothing in particular. I’ve been a movie buff my whole life, so if I were to mention a classic I would have to say that The French Connection had car chase scenes that hold up extremely well. I still remember all the car chases from old movies that I’ve seen, and I draw from that well of experiences for inspiration. I take things that left an impression and present them in my own way, so it’s not like I’m directly copying anything from anywhere.

“Stopping” is key to the formula.

– When you get right down to it, what’s the basic concept behind Crazy Taxi?

The basic concept we were trying to run with was to let the players cut loose as they blast through town, and making that experience exhilarating. Achieving that was our top priority. However, we also worked to create something that could stand on its own as a game. We wanted to make something that could be enjoyed by car lovers and casual players, as well as people who have been into games for a long time, and I feel like we put significant effort into emphasizing its depth as a video game.

– I thought it was unusual that there was no speedometer, and no gears except for drive and reverse. Was that all part of the plan?

Yeah. Even if you’re not switching gears all of the time – I mean, shifting between gears can be fun and all – but even if you’re not, there are other ways you can be having fun. We wanted to focus on how fun it is to weave in and out of heavy traffic, so we simplified other elements and focused more on the fun to be had transitioning between drive and reverse. The single biggest addition we made to the formula is probably that “stopping” is key.

– There certainly aren’t many games where stopping and backing up are crucial parts of doing well.

This is probably the first game where stopping is crucial as an iron-clad rule. As a creator, I feel like we were able to make something that feels pretty fresh.

– Techniques such as drifting and dashing are pretty difficult to make good use of. How did you balance elements like those?

We didn’t “balance” things per se, but it was more like… in addition to the “basic concept” of the game that I mentioned earlier, making a game that let you tear through the streets in awesome ways is something we were aiming for from the beginning. I had instructed the team to make something where anybody could recreate the kind of exhilarating driving that pros pull off in car action movies. So, in Crazy Taxi, anybody can pull off a drift, but knowing how and when to use it is something that hinges entirely on the player’s skill, which is how we wanted to bring out its depth as a video game. Drifting in certain situations comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, and Crazy Taxi turned out the way it did because I think that’s where a lot of the fun to be had in this game comes from.

A kind of “coolness” that is unique to Hitmaker

– Crazy Taxi has a very cheerful way about it. Where does that come from?

Our cheerful staff, I suppose. (laughs) I don’t know, honestly. It was probably only possible because it was made by Hitmaker. (laughs)

– I got the same kind of vibe from your previous title, Top Skater, as well.

It’s difficult to reach any kind of consensus about what a word as abstract as “cool” even means. It was the same with Top Skater, but the final product is the result of an incredible amount of trial and error.

I think lots of people have different ideas about what “coolness” is, too. Some people think Brad Pitt is cool while others may prefer more of a Nicholas Cage, and I think that’s because there’s more than one way to be “cool.” I can’t put it into words, but it was basically a process that involved multiple discussions, lots of design work, and the endless repetition trial and error. The only way I can describe it is by saying it that it was only possible because of this particular team – a kind of “coolness” that is unique to Hitmaker.

– So the overall design was the culmination of group discussions, and not the vision of any particular designer or director?

Well, I mean, I do offer instruction as to the general direction I would like for things to progress in. In our case, the people who draw characters are totally different from those who draw backgrounds, so it’s up to people like the chief designer or myself to give it all a sense of cohesiveness. That’s when the conversation starts to turn towards those abstract words we mentioned earlier, though. Anyway, I think this is the kind of game that only could have been made by Hitmaker.

– The customers you pick up emote in ways that are pretty out there, huh? There are sometimes even pregnant woman that hop in, which I question the safety of.

It’d probably be pretty bad news if this were real life, wouldn’t it. (laughs) Among games that have cars as their primary motif, I feel like this may be the first one to have people feature so prominently. We tried to insert something players could identify with–a little bit of human warmth–into the formula. We did our best to improve those aspects as well, so that customers would run the gamut from normal to more peculiar.

– Which is why the driver’s personalities are placed front and center by making the cars convertibles, then?

That’s right. It may seem kind of haphazardly thrown together, but we actually put a lot of thought into it. (laughs)

Ingenuity through repeated trial and error.

– How did you go about designing the large map in the Dreamcast version?

Well, the design philosophy we placed foremost when we started working on the arcade version was to make a map that felt big and gave players a sense of freedom. We tried to prevent the player from ever feeling like they’ve lost their way by making the course opal-shaped with wide roads. But with the home console version, it’s now possible for people to enjoy the game over extended periods of time, right? With that in mind, we tried to introduce the “excitement of getting lost.” We had wanted to make a course that would keep players thinking about which route is fastest, or how there are different ways to reach destinations that they’ve always taken the same path to get to. We wanted players to get together with their friends to think about new approaches and compete to find better ones, and the map we made had that concept at its core.

– In the Dreamcast version, you can use the Crazy Dash technique to leap over certain buildings. Were the locations where that can be done meticulously planned out?

Absolutely–we gave it a lot of thought. Racing games are usually about the sensation of cruising through a fairly flat course, right? You usually just worry about moving left or right. If it’s an off-road racing game or something like that you’re obviously going to have a certain degree of verticality, but you’re basically just atop a flat, 2D plane most of the time. We thought about whether or not it was possible to mix it up, and decided to challenge ourselves by trying to make a more three-dimensional kind of course.

– Programming-wise, how exactly does a map that large even get processed?

I wonder if it’s all right to talk about that… It just sort of flows. (laughs) I can’t really say any more than that.

– Were there any challenges you faced while making the arcade version?

There were a couple dilemmas, I suppose. It was our first time using that particular arcade board so it took us a long time to establish a stable working environment, and we were unable to create content at the pace we would have wanted to. Just like we did with Top Skater–just like we do every time–we wanted to create something that is new, plays by its own rules, and is an entirely fresh experience, so we went through plenty of trial and error. Well, that itself is part of the fun of being on the development side, just as is seeing the reactions of customers after the game has been released, but the creative thinking part of the process can be quite trying sometimes.

– Is your next game going to be an arcade title?

Well, that has more to do with Hitmaker’s overall strategy as a company, so I can’t really go into any specific detail. However, what I can say is that our top priority is to create games that everyone can enjoy. Also, the Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi was only possible because of all the reactions we received from fans who said they wanted to play the game at home as well, and whenever there’s a time where our fans say there’s something that they want, we do everything we possibly can to make that a reality. And when doing so, I always try to think about ways we can spice up the formula and bring new ideas into the mix.

– Do you have any parting words for our readers?

We plan to keep making games that we’re sure you’ll enjoy, so please keep your eyes on us!

]]>Crazy Taxihttp://timelyhoward.com/?p=316
Mon, 06 Apr 2015 01:52:54 +0000http://timelyhoward.com/?p=316Continue reading Crazy Taxi→]]>Originally published in volume 5 of Nice Games (2000), this interview has Crazy Taxi‘s director, Kenji Kanno, going into detail about the development of the arcade and Dreamcast versions of the game. Crazy Taxi was later ported to the PS2, GameCube, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and was eventually followed up by multiple (mostly terrible) sequels. The game can still be purchased through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live marketplaces, as well as for the PC, albeit with all the licensed content (locations such as KFC and Pizza Hut and hip tunes by the Offspring) removed. I also cannot recommend the PC version in good conscious, as it does not support analog control (meaning you cannot actually steer your vehicle–you can only make hard lefts and hard rights) and is therefore virtually unplayable.

This interview (and many others) was included in volume 0 of Video Game Craftsmen (ゲーム職人第０集), published by MicroMagazine Publishing Co. If you enjoy this manner of content, please support them however you can.

Developer Profile:

Kenji Kanno

Sega Corporation
AM Research and Development
Sega AM3 R&D, Producer
Game Design, General Manager
(“Hitmaker Development Division” at the time of this interview)

Joined Sega in April of 1993, and worked on such titles as Funky Head Boxers and Top Skater. He served as both Director and Producer for Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2, including console and PC versions. He also acted as director for CRACKIN’DJ around the same time. At the time of this interview, he was working as General Producer for Dinosaur King, a card-based arcade game for younger audiences.

]]>Topic #1: The Hadoukenhttp://timelyhoward.com/?p=301
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:53:26 +0000http://timelyhoward.com/?p=301Continue reading Topic #1: The Hadouken→]]>Responding to a question regarding projectile attacks, Daigo speaks on his theories about the Hadouken—when to throw them, with what timing, and their overall role in fighting games.

Players tend to learn how to differentiate between “safe fireballs” that leave enough time to anti-air if your opponent jumps in and “unsafe fireballs” that leave you open to taking damage and carry an inherent risk. Takayuki mentions that Daigo is often associated with his immaculate use of projectile attacks, and how he almost never seems to get jumped in on despite using them in unsafe situations.

Takayuki studied videos of Daigo’s play after taking up Ryu in Street Fighter Alpha 3, and made the following analysis of his play:

Takayuki: “…I would spend an incredible amount of time watching videos of your play and think ‘How does this guy get away with throwing so many risky fireballs?’ I figured that before I chalked it up to just being a result of your experience and ability to read your opponent, it might be worth figuring out whether or not there’s some specific technique behind it. What jumped out at me first was that you were ‘confirming’ your shots. For example, the decision of whether to throw a Hadouken at the beginning of a round or not, after throwing one Hadouken whether to throw another or not, or thinking about whether your opponent will choose to jump or block… these are all split-second situations where people often focus too much on their options and hesitate, but it has always seemed to me like you take a moment–just one moment–to confirm that your opponent is not jumping and then immediately throw your next fireball. Or even just confirming that your opponent is doing something like walking forward, in situations where you’re both playing the neutral game. If your opponent starts walking forwards it’s likely he intends to engage you on the ground, after all. The speed at which you’re able to confirm those situations is exceptionally fast, so it may sometimes look like all you’re doing is throwing out fireballs at fast as you can. Once I realized this, I actually started to get jumped in on a lot less.”

Daigo tells Takayuki that’s just one piece of the puzzle, and encourages him to consider what role it is that projectiles fulfill in fighting games. They introduce the element of long-range combat, which does not exist in 3D fighting games or in the Street Fighter III series because of parrying. The importance of close-range combat also changes greatly as a result. When neither character can use projectiles it can be confusing as to who’s supposed to be on the offensive, but in situations where only one character can fight at a distance, the one that needs to get in close to do damage is forced to play aggressively. Daigo claims this is a vital part of what makes matches interesting, as the most enjoyable thing about fighting games is the different in position—or “spacing”—between players. He says projectiles are one of the most easily understood parts of what separates characters apart from one another, and explains that mirror matches (a “mirror match” refers to both players selecting the same character) are boring because that difference does not exist. He explains their importance as follows:

Daigo: Street Fighter II was the basically the starting point for fighting games, but I think it would have been pretty boring if it didn’t have projectiles, and it probably wouldn’t have been the huge hit that it was. Look at it this way: if there were no projectiles, offense as a whole would suffer because you wouldn’t have to worry about losing health as long as you never do anything. I’ve heard of people deciding the winner of matches in tournaments by rock-paper-scissors before, because in match-ups where whoever attacks first loses people would just do nothing all round and end up getting draw games by time out.”

Daigo goes on to explain that projectiles are essential to making 2D fighting games interesting—but that it doesn’t necessarily need to be projectiles, as long as something exists that serves a similar purpose. The Darkstalkers series has powerful overhead attacks (attacks that must be blocked in a standing, as opposed to a crouching, position), in addition to a guard crush mechanic (should your character block too many attacks, you will be left vulnerable momentarily). The most important thing is providing players with a reason to play proactively, which he says is not unique to fighting games. Many players may dislike it when projectiles are powerful because they feel it limits their freedom of movement, but Daigo insists that the fun begins when a character that excels at long-range fights a character that excels up close. Players being able to limit their opponents’ options allows for a higher level of play to be reached, separating strong players from weaker ones.

Takayuki points out that projectiles are a tool that forces your opponent to act, and that coercion is the real fun to be found in fighting games. Daigo agrees, and laments the recent trend of making projectiles in 2D fighters weaker. Despite projectiles in recent games being relatively simple to avoid or counterattack on reaction, tactics employed at close and mid-range do not seem to be advancing, either. Projectile characters should not be made more powerful at no cost, though; strengthening a character’s long-range game should result in other aspects being made weaker in order to compensate. “It’s all about maintaining a healthy variety,” Daigo says.

Takayuki mentions that match-ups where neither character has a reason to move are boring for spectators as well, and that the amount of time that gets wasted makes for an unhappy atmosphere in arcades.

The discussion takes a shift in tone when Daigo prompts Takayuki to consider what his “objective” is during matches, saying moves that carry risk are easier to do when you have a clear reason to do them. Your objective is not to win the round, but setting up the best possible scenario using the best possible moves in order to create a situation that will lead to you taking the round. Projectiles are but one such tool used to that end. Thinking about how best to use projectiles is a problem, as you focus too much on the projectile itself. It’s scary to throw out such a risky move when you don’t even know what you’re doing it for.

Takayuki interprets this as “not confusing the objective and the means,” and feels that the key to throwing fireballs more aggressively is to not let yourself get caught up in the risk and return of each individual moment, and keep in mind that there is a greater return to be had down the line. He asks Daigo to explain his stance further.

Daigo: “That would depend on the game and character, but one example I could give that applies to basically all games is ‘forcing your opponent into a corner.’ Take the Ryu vs. Guile match-up in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, for instance. Ryu has no way to deal any kind of decisive damage to Guile while at mid-screen, but you’re able to apply tremendous pressure once you get him into the corner. The strongest tool Ryu has available to him in this match-up is his sweep (crouching roundhouse kick) canceled into a Hadouken. If the sweep connects you knock him down, and if the sweep is blocked you still manage to carry him towards the corner. Guile, on the other hand, has a powerful projectile called a ‘Sonic Boom,’ which requires skillful use of Ryu’s Hadouken in order to close the space that creates. Putting it all together, the most efficient way to take the round is to force your opponent into the corner. Furthermore, the best way to get them there is to use your sweep into Hadouken, which you will only be able to do once you’ve neutralized Guile’s Sonic Boom with your Hadouken. Got it? A projectile is just something you can use in order to put yourself in an advantageous position–the act of throwing it is not your objective.”

Reflecting on how he picked up on Daigo’s technique of “confirming” his fireballs before throwing them, he says it would certainly be an effective tactic for throwing lots of fireballs, but admits he wasn’t thinking about the role that projectiles play in affecting the overall flow of the match. He asks Daigo to share any additional advice he might have.

Daigo: “Well, it’s not some kind of trick or anything, but why don’t I talk a bit about what got me so interested in projectile characters? I happened to run into a certain person back when I was really into Super Street Fighter II Turbo. At the time, he was incredibly strong and I couldn’t get a single win against him. You could say he was my master when it came to projectiles, I guess. ‘I realized it back in Hyper Fighting.’ he told me ‘This game is all about fireballs, Daigo. If you really think about it, characters can only leave the ground for a split second at a time. As long as I’m not throwing something in that split second, there’s no way I’ll lose!’ When I heard that, all that went through my mind was ‘…Oh!’ It’s a simple notion, but it really cuts to the essence of the Street Fighter II series. Being able to take something that looks complicated at first glance and simplify it in words like he could is important. Throwing projectiles takes courage. In order to continue doing that, you need to have something you believe in. In my case, my reason for continuing to throw projectiles is that I firmly believe that ‘continuing to shoot is my safest option’. Nobody else seems to think that way, however. Projectiles are kind of like a vehicle–you’re not going to stop riding them just because you’re afraid of getting into an accident, are you? But for some reason, people are scared when it’s a projectile. This is because fighting games are still young, and the idea that projectiles are safe is not yet part of the common consciousness. Not that any of this applies to recent games, anyway.”

Mastering the Anti-Air Shoryuken

Takayuki, explaining that he becomes unable to react when people jump at him if he focuses too hard on playing a strong ground game, asks Daigo how he’s able to anti-air so consistently using the Shoryuken. Takayuki praises his ability to pay such close attention to both the ground and the air, and wonders how he does it

Daigo: “There’s a reason for that, too. (laughs) There was this guy back in the Super Street Fighter II Turbo days who was really good, you see. I wanted to see him play for myself, and the first time I did he was up against a Zangief. At the time, I had never seen anyone be able to consistently repel Zangief’s jump-ins with Shoryukens, but he was doing it 100% of the time. On the maximum speed setting of 4 stars, no less. After seeing that, I decided I would do whatever I could to get the Shoryuken out when I needed it. It was not pretty–I was eating jump-ins left and right and getting clobbered because of it, but after spending so much time focusing only on anti-airing I eventually became able to do it consistently, and before I knew it I was able to do it without even keeping my eyes on the air. Pretty sure it’s all about repetition, is all.”

Takayuki asks next how he’s always able to connect with those seemingly random Shoryukens he always does, to which Daigo jokingly responds: “It’s all talent,” before explaining that there’s actually a reason behind that, as well.

Daigo: “This is another Street Fighter II story, but an acquaintance once told me ‘There used to be this guy who was weirdly good with random Shoryukens.’ I couldn’t ever see him play because by the time I had heard about him the guy in question had already quit the game, but I wanted to learn how to do it so I had spend lots of time imagining different scenarios and trying them out. After feeling confident I had finally started to figure it out, I landed a whole bunch of them on that same acquaintance, afterwards asking ‘Is this kind of what he was like?’ It was pretty rough–I had nothing to go on but my imagination. Oh, sorry. I guess it was talent after all.”

Daigo mentions that a certain level of intuition may be required, but that anyone can figure out what to aim for provided they work at it enough. Takayuki follows up by asking if there are ever instances where it looks like he’s making incredible reads on his opponent, but is actually just doing whatever he wants. Unsure of how to respond, Daigo asks for an example.

Takayuki: “I saw you playing CAPCOM VS. SNK 2 quite some time back, but you were playing a Ken whom you, during the recovery frames after he did his forward roll cancel Nata Otoshi Geri, countered using Dictator’s slide attack. I mean, sure, you might be able to get big damage off of it, but in situations where there’s no real reason to slide because there are more simple ways to counterattack, there you are–sliding. You’re leaving yourself in a really risky spot if you mess up, too! Or more recently, I was watching a video of you giving your thoughts about matches you played in a GODS GARDEN video, and there was a scene where you just continued walking forward against an El Fuerte. You’re just doing whatever you want, aren’t you? (laughs)”

Daigo explains this as him “asserting himself,” saying that, when played at a high level, fighting games are a problem of two people wanting to get their way. If everyone wanted to win than everyone would pick the strongest characters and never look back, but the reality is quite different. The desire players have to express themselves through their characters and style is why we see differences in how people play. Countering somebody with Dictator’s slide requires exceptional reads and reactions, which is not something Daigo believes he would be capable of doing all the time, making it all the more important to do it whenever he possibly can. Making it happen on screen is the single best way to make sure your feelings get across, and to show people the real you.

AFTERTALK

Daigo, saying that this was the first time he had read this particular article in quite some time, praised himself for his incredible insight. Reading through it, he finds himself agreeing with every single thing he says. Takayuki quips that it’s nice that Daigo isn’t afraid to toot his own horn. After a member of the editing department points out how this article came out shortly before Daigo became a professional gamer, Daigo once again marvels at his own ability–to think that such valuable information came from the mouth of an amateur!

Takayuki closes the discussion by quickly summarizing the article, pointing out how they tried to focus on the key points in order to make it accessible to people who may not be as knowledgeable about fighting games. Although the topic in question came from a reader asking “teach me how to throw a better Hadouken,” the first half touched on a discussion about how fighting games are about enjoying the difference in spacing between the characters, and the second half entered into more detail, talking about how small actions can be taken in order to put yourself in an advantageous position.

Beginning serialization in 2009, the “Umehara Column” is a regular feature in Monthly Arcadia Magazine, published by ENTERBRAIN, Inc. Prominent fighting game personality Daigo Umehara and his close friend Takayuki Morikawa respond to questions about fighting games that are sent in by readers, occasionally joined by guests such as other fighting game players or members of the editing department.

A compilation of articles from the Umehara Column was published in March of 2013, literally titled Scroll of the Fist: A Fighting Game God Passes His Techniques to You. Most articles in this compilation include a section called “AFTERTALK” in which Daigo, Takayuki, and the editors came together in January of 2013 to reflect on their work.

On this section of timelyhoward.com, I will provide translations and summaries of articles from the Umehara Column. This collection seeks to reproduce the current state of the fighting game scene at the time its contents were originally written, and sections discussing contemporary events are left as is.

PROFILE

Daigo Umehara

Takayuki Morikawa

A famous personality in the fighting game scene with many 2D fighting game championships to his name. His flashy play style and sage words have gained him many fans worldwide. Signed a sponsorship deal with Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. in 2010 and is currently active as a pro gamer.

Manager of the GAME SPOT VERSUS arcade in Nishi Nippori. A fighting game player himself, Takayuki has been friends with Daigo for over a decade. Placed top 8 in the CAPCOM VS. SNK 2 singles tournament at the inaugural Super Battle Opera and was on the winning team at the ULTIMATE ZERO7 Street Fighter Alpha 3 tournament.

Table of Contents

]]>Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance – Nintendo Online Magazine Development Staff Interviewhttp://timelyhoward.com/?p=268
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 06:28:43 +0000http://timelyhoward.com/?p=268Continue reading Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance – Nintendo Online Magazine Development Staff Interview→]]>The development of the legendary Fire Emblem series is handled by the talented staff at Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. We are joined not only by Tohru Narihiro, a man with whom I’m sure fans of the franchise are intimately familiar by now, but other members of this first-class team as well. With a love for the series, the wherewithal to venture into uncharted territory, and a desire to cherish fans both old and new, they have created a wonderful new game that overflows with ambition. As always, our interviews are packed to the gills with good stuff, so please read every word!

Unmistakably Fire Emblem, Even in 3D

– I’d like to begin by asking Mr. Narihiro, who has been a major player throughout the Fire Emblem series, to tell us more about himself.

Tohru: I officially joined the team starting with Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem1, and have basically been fulfilling the role of “unsung hero” the entire time. Computers weren’t as widespread back then, but there were also lots of interesting games coming out for home consoles. I wanted to help spread the word, and got involved with the franchise that way. At the time, simulation games were considered a much more hardcore, difficult, and involved experience–there are so many factors to account for, after all. It wasn’t possible to put that kind of experience on the Famicom as-is, so we needed limit the amount of information at play. It simply wouldn’t work unless we simplified things as much as possible. Our desire to make a streamlined, yet still fun experience led to the creation of a system that demands less of the player, which is why I believe the series has continued as long as it has.

1 Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem - Released January 21st, 1994, it was the third installment in the Fire Emblem series and the first to be made for the Super Famicom

– I think its simplicity is one of the reasons it’s as fun as it is, though. Why is that?

Tohru: The thing about simulation games is that the more information there is on-screen, the more difficult it is to parse your situation. Even if each individual factor is simple, put them all together and the number of possibilities expands. But if you have many of those simple elements put together, it offers players a greater degree of freedom to play how they wish. For example, people who only want to use female characters, or play exclusively using archers. (laughs)

– You used to work on the Famicom Wars2 series of games as well, correct?

Tohru: Famicom Wars had unit growth and other RPG elements, but it was really just us laying the foundation for the original Fire Emblem3. Both series are followed closely by totally different players, and I think both groups enjoy playing them in different ways. Famicom Wars is closer to game like shogi or chess, where you move pieces around on a board. Fire Emblem is made to emphasize the personalities and growth of the characters, inspiring empathy in the players. The games are played with different end goals in mind. Fans of Famicom Wars would often ask if there was some way to give units more personality, which we tried doing in Advance Wars4.

2 Famicom Wars - Released for the Famicom on August 12th, 1988, it is considered the first in Nintendo's Wars series of games that also includes Advance Wars and Battalion Wars.
3 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light - Released April 20th, 1990, it launched the Fire Emblem franchise. It was remade twice, once for the Super Famicom (Mystery of the Emblem) and once for the Nintendo DS (Shadow Dragon).
4 Advance Wars - The first in the Wars series of games to be released outside of Japan, Advance Wars was released for the Game Boy Advance in North America to critical acclaim on September 10th, 2001.

– How about you, Ms. Kaneda? When did you join the Fire Emblem team?

Taeko: Fire Emblem: Thracia 7765. I provided assistance for previous titles, but have been a member of the main team for Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade6, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword7, and now Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

5 Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 - The fifth installment in theseries, the final Fire Emblem game released for the Super Famicom, and the last game released at retail for the system (September 1st, 1999).
6 Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade - Released March 29th, 2002, this was sixth game in the series and the first for the Game Boy Advance. Its protagonist, Roy, was a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube.
7Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword - The sixth Fire Emblem title and the first game in the series to leave Japan. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in North America on November 3rd, 2003, where it was simply titled Fire Emblem.

– Since the platform has switched to the Nintendo GameCube, I imagine there must have been lots of changes to make.

Tohru: We had the basic technology that we needed to implement 3D, but it was our first time handling realistic human models, so we had a lot we needed to learn on that front. We’ve been doing some basic experimentation with it for the past three years or so, though. You know, figuring out how things would change if what we’ve been doing in 2D were in 3D instead. We racked our brains thinking about what should be done with tricks that we used to be able to use should things like walls and stairs be rendered in 3D. Our biggest fear, however, was that our fans would reject characters simply because they’re 3D.

– Stuff like arrows passing through walls doesn’t actually happen, after all. It was something that was possible because it’s a game, and because it took place on a flat map.

Minoru: We tossed around ideas like having arrows get stuck in the walls, or having them destroy the wall and pierce through to the other side. We considered creating other destructive weapons like those, but ultimately decided against it.

Creating a Diverse Cast of Characters Means Paying Attention to Every Possible Parameter

– Ike is a bit of a departure from the kind of protagonist that we’re used to seeing in the series. We’ve gone from higher-class characters like princes and nobility to a young mercenary, which is quite the shift.

Taeko: You’re right. This is the first time a commoner has taken center stage. Which makes sense, given how the existence of “the prince of a lost kingdom” has been such a central part of previous titles. The settings do end up feeling kind of similar as a result, though. When making The Blazing Sword we decided to experiment by having three protagonists, and after collecting feedback following the game’s release we were amazed to discover how wildly popular Hector was. (laughs) Since Hector went over well, we thought it might be okay to go ahead and have our hero cut from a different cloth this time. This is also our debut on a brand new piece of hardware, so we wanted to leave all preconceived notions behind and take things in a brand new direction. After asking the staff for their opinions, there were lots of people clamoring for a protagonist that “even men could empathize with.” That’s how Ike was born.

Masayuki: We decided to make him a guy who mostly keeps to himself, is more on the wild side, and has a rougher way of talking–that kind of thing. We even made him a mercenary in order to play up the manly aspect. Thanks to the spirited input of our male staff, however, this game’s Jeigan8 has been made into an attractive older woman. (laughs)

8 Jeigan - Each installment of the series has a powerful character that guides the protagonist through the earlier sections of the game. In the original Fire Emblem this character was an old man named Jeigan, whose name has been appropriated as a title that is applied to all characters in later games who fulfill that same role.

– I was surprised to see a different kind of Jeigan than what I was expecting, but I had no idea there were reasons like those at play behind the scenes. (laughs)

Masayuki: Our guys were giving very enthusiastic opinions about how “if someone is going to tag along, I’d rather it be a lady than an old dude,” and offering very specific details about what age range they thought would be good. (laughs) Her hair being a thick braid was done at Mr. Higuchi’s request, by the way.

Masahiro: It’s important to make sure you can tell units apart at a glance. Plenty of characters have long hair, right? We needed to do something to set her apart from the crowd… the truth is that I just like neat haircuts, though. (laughs)

Taeko: When you’ve got over 50 characters in the cast, it’s important to make sure there’s enough variety there. Designing them so that they stand out as units is particularly difficult work. We’re trying to make sure that anyone who plays the game would be able to find a character they can get attached to, so we need to incorporate feedback from lots of different people. Since the beginning of the franchise, it seems like it’s been standard to ask male staff for opinions about female characters, and vice versa. (laughs)

– It’s quite the handful just trying to approach it the usual way. You need to give each character their own unique look and personality, after all.

Taeko: What really makes the characters of Fire Emblem so appealing is that each one really feels “alive.” Not just their appearance and personality, but their unit type, stats, and lines… they all come together to make the character who they are. We had to ensure that players would see their units as characters, as well. Since we’ve moved from 2D to 3D, we also used motion capture for movement in CGI cut-scenes and combat animations. If we think of the simple act of swinging a sword… make it too realistic and it’ll be almost unrecognizable as Fire Emblem, but if it’s too over-the-top it’ll seem almost disingenuous. We’ve been making adjustments the entire time, with our entire staff stressing out thinking about how best to strike that balance. I think it’s much better than it was at the beginning, but I wish we could have done something about the scenes that play out when somebody’s HP hits 0.

– It’s… pretty realistic, isn’t it? Distressingly so.

Taeko: Horrifying, right? (forced laugh) It used to be even more realistic. We tried to make it softer and that was still the best we could do. Relative to how deformed most other movements are, it may have been a bit too severe. We tried to make combat exhilarating by making the attacks flashy but the painful parts on the lighter side, though.

Tohru: There are two parameters called Weight and Durability, and these actually influence how characters move during combat scenes. If you take an interest in a character after seeing their portrait, try imagining what kind of fighting style they might use before going in-game and verifying it for yourself.

Taeko: Now that you mention it, the status screens for characters in The Binding Blade and The Blazing Sword had it so that any armor or other equipment would add to your total Weight stat, but that wasn’t actually explained anywhere in-game. Illustrations would show these dainty female characters who weighed incredible amounts in-game, causing some players to mistakenly think that they were secretly pretty chunky. (laughs) Because of that, we’ve decided to display a character’s weight and the load they carry separately in Path of Radiance. Keeping up appearances is important, after all.

The Trials and Tribulations of Making 3D Maps

Masahiro: The graphics were made almost entirely by Mr. Noda and myself, but we were stressed out the entire, thinking “maybe 2D is better after all,” and “what if this doesn’t go over well in 3D?” Since we had done everything in 2D up to this point, we were worried about whether or not making it 3D would make things more difficult to grasp. It looks strange if you try to turn units into icons by making their faces bigger, and it would be difficult to even recognize them as units if you don’t get their proportions just right, which is how we eventually arrived at how they look now. There was a point in time where I had thought I done a great job, but after showing it to the other staff I was on the receiving end of some pretty awful bashing. (laughs)

– Bashing? (laughs)

Masahiro: That’s right! Bashing!

Tohru: There must be a better way you can phrase that… (laughs)

Minoru: Anyway, you can’t make it too realistic. People won’t recognize villagers’ houses if they lose that iconic element they used to have, and excessive realism would make it difficult to recognize your units as well. It was quite the ordeal.

Kentaro: We displayed the game at the “Nintendo World Touch! DS” event last year, but I was surprised to see how much the combat scenes had changed between then and when I saw them again during the debugging phase. The main request that we had on the Nintendo side was to make sure the game had a good tempo, and the game has been adjusted so that players can make good progress at a satisfactory pace. Players who tried the game at the event and were disappointed will probably be quite surprised to see how different it is now. I’m hoping everyone will give it a shot for themselves.

– When I played it, I thought the maps were all well-organized and quite easy to understand.

Minoru: We paid close attention to how things were laid out, down to each individual tree. We played up how tall they were at first, but that made it impossible to see units that were standing directly around it. We had the idea of making trees transparent so that you could see through to the other side, and for a variety of reasons we ended up deciding to have it as it is now.

– I imagine there must have been some problems that came up because you couldn’t see in those situations.

Minoru: There’s no way we could have possibly left it as-is, right? We can’t allow for the possibility of our players losing their desire to continue the game because something happened without their knowledge. It was for that same reason that we took painstaking measures to ensure that all two-story buildings were reduced to a single floor, and that the sails were transparent on maps that took place on ships.

Tohru: He would also make us such wonderful maps. We would always take those maps, think “Oh, gosh, what a nice map. Too bad we can’t use it,” and then throw them away. (laughs)

Minoru: I want players to enjoy the overall atmosphere and flow of the maps. There are many maps with different climate effects as well, like snowstorms or heavy rain.

Kentaro: We’ve also changed the sizes of the maps themselves, prioritizing making them easier for the player to enjoy.

Tohru: We don’t want to make any compromises with the gameplay. We want everyone to enjoy their experience, and we don’t want anyone to feel inconvenienced by the game. The series is all about maintaining a certain level of tension while you play, and we cannot yield on that front. I think players will feel right at home once they jump in.

– Tell me more about this new unit, the “Laguz.”

Taeko: The first design we had was basically your garden-variety “beastman.” It looked pretty good, and we thought it might be popular with new users… but that it wouldn’t fit very well in the Fire Emblem universe without some tweaks. We thought it might be an easier sell if made so that they shape-shift during combat sequences, like the Mamkute characters that were part of the series already. It wouldn’t be interesting if we took the safe route and just made them a beast version of Mamkutes, and we wanted them to be able to fulfill their own role as pieces on the board, so we did some brainstorming and decided what traits Laguz units would have. In a world-building sense, what really separates them apart from Mamkutes is that their “human” form is their default state of being. Even if their evolved form is different, Laguz are actually quite similar to Beorcs. The differences between individual tribes might be easiest to understand if you think of them in the same you way you think of the differences between different ethnic groups and cultures in the real world.

Making Effective Use of the Your New “Base”

– The “Base” is quite a large addition to the game. It’s from your base that you can visit shops or advance the plot, but why did you decide to split it up like you did?

Masayuki: What we basically did was take everything that wasn’t combat and place it outside of the map. We wanted to separate the two completely, and have people enjoy the gameplay purely for the gameplay. It may not necessarily be the perfect solution, but we figured that we wouldn’t know until we tried. I personally prefer having stuff like this happen outside of the map – I like to enjoy the simulation aspects of the game in their purest form.

– Support Conversations happen in the base now as well. I know everyone is looking forward to those.

Masayuki: There were lots of conversations that we figured had no reason to take place on the battlefield. It’s also possible that you might pick the wrong option and start a Support Conversation by mistake. It can be fun to place two units next to each other and make up your own story for them as you go, though. (laughs)

Taeko: Supports show a scene where a private conversation is happening between two characters, with the “source” of that being the protagonist, Ike himself. There are some parts that show him casually listening in, though. (laughs) I feel like this might make it a bit easier to identify with him.

– Please tell me more about why you cut the Arena, and about “Bonus EXP”.

Masayuki: I know that people were quite fond of the Arena, but I felt like it was getting too much attention. It was a place where players could fine-tune the strength of their units to their liking, but that led to instances of players using characters far beyond the level we wanted them to play at. We also worried that most of the time people spent with the game ended up going towards that, as well.

Taeko: We didn’t want to create an RPG-like experience where people would only be able to clear the game because they put a lot of time into raising strong units. We want people to play by skillfully using the pieces they have available to them under the constraints of specific limitations. The simplicity of the handheld versions was fine, but since we’re having players take the time to sit in front of their TV anyway, we want them to immerse themselves in the simulation aspects of the Fire Emblem series.

Masayuki: You can access “Info” conversations from your base that will help you formulate strategies, so I’d like players to take a look at those. We have separate groups of users who want to enjoy the series purely for the simulation aspects, and others who like to play it as an RPG, and we’ve done our best to try and satisfy both. Incidentally, you should keep an eye on how many stars (☆) are listed next to each conversation. One-star conversations yield new information about characters, two stars for strategic information, and three stars for conversations that get you things like items or new characters

– How is Bonus EXP? Both it, and the system of inheriting skills by equipping them, seem pretty ground-breaking to me.

Kentaro: Some units are tougher to raise than others, right? Units that use staves are important, but it’s also difficult to have them keep up, which makes them harder to use. We introduced Bonus EXP in order to help balance that.

Masayuki: Skills are great for bringing out a little bit more of a character’s personality, but I think longtime fans of the series will also find them quite nostalgic.

Masayuki: Oh, also: If you try to raise a unit exclusively on Bonus EXP, their skill with weapons will never go up. For that, you should use Crafting to make yourself a strong weapon that can be used even with low weapon skill.

– Are there any other changes worth mentioning?

Masayuki: Enemies should be pretty clever this time around. We had reduced the number of thought processes for AI in the Game Boy Advance games quite a bit, so they would sometimes make things tough by constantly healing themselves and stuff like that.

Taeko: When making the Game Boy Advance games we had kept the nature of the hardware in mind and made it so that most situations would basically work themselves out if you used brute force. We also omitted several powerful mechanics, like mounted units being able to move again after attacking, or skills activating multiple times. Now that all those mechanics are back for the GameCube, you’re going to need to stay on your toes if you want to succeed–even on the normal difficulty setting.

Delving Deeper Into the World of Fire Emblem Through Beautiful CGI Movies

– I feel like the tutorials get better and easier to understand with each installment of the series.

Kentaro: We made sure that players would receive a “Yes / No” prompt before each tutorial, as well as making sure that they could skip at any time or go back and look at them again in case they missed anything. Or, for a new mechanic that doesn’t necessarily warrant its own tutorial, we made it so that a notice will pop up in the bottom-left corner of the screen. I love those–they’re like those tickers they use for news flashes. (laughs) If something is particularly important one of the characters will take the time to tell you about it, so you should be able to handle most situations just pushing forward as you like.

– Why did you decide to create three separate difficulty settings?

Taeko: One of the requests we got from Nintendo was to make it so that 80% of the people who play the game will be able to finish it, so we decided to split it up into different difficulty levels. There’s a pretty significant gap between the players looking for a challenge and the people for whom Path of Radiance will be their first Fire Emblem game, after all. Even though we’ve got three separate modes now, I hope we’ll be able to satisfy as many players as possible.

– What’s the theme for Path of Radiance?

Taeko: Looking back on it, I want to say the idea of “the love between parent and child” stuck out the most to me. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and so do the ways they show affection for each other. If you turn on the news, all you see lately is tragedy. Families form the foundation of all human relationships, and in Path of Radiance we put very raw emotion on display–the kind that can be expressed precisely because the characters are faced with the life or death situations that war presents.

– Could I get some final comments to close things out?

Minoru: Interacting with enemies is realistic to the point of being scary. I hope our players will enjoy the new sense of realism that the jump to 3D has created.

Masayuki: It may be in 3D, but it’s still the Fire Emblem you know and love, so please enjoy.

Masahiro: Despite moving to 3D, this game has ended up being a very stress-free work. We made sure to lock the experience at 60 frames per second, and I hope our players will enjoy the ease of control that provides.

Taeko: We were able to make spectacular use of the talents of each person on staff. I’ll be overjoyed if people enjoy it.

Kentaro: The music is fully orchestrated this time, and the result is brilliant. I’m confident that players will feel that this game is well worth the price of entry. Start your adventure on Normal Mode, and aim for the emotional endings that awaits!

Tohru: The CGI movies in the game were created by Digital Frontier, and they did a marvelous job. Introducing movies into the Fire Emblem formula was a challenge, and making them fit depends entirely now well the creators put them together. All these parts–movies, maps, and illustrations–ending up as well as they did is largely thanks to our fortuitous encounter with Digital Frontier. I hope that these movies will allow players to invest themselves even further into the drama of the Fire Emblem world.

]]>Fire Emblem: Path of Radiancehttp://timelyhoward.com/?p=246
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 02:21:20 +0000http://timelyhoward.com/?p=246Continue reading Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance→]]>This interview is taken from issue #82 of Nintendo Online Magazine, published in May of 2005. The ninth game in the Fire Emblem series, it marked the franchise’s long-awaited return to home consoles following three consecutive titles for the Game Boy Advance. It and its sequel(Radiant Dawn for the Nintendo Wii) are simultaneously the worst-selling and most highly-sought installments in the franchise, with both commanding aftermarket prices quite close to what they originally retailed for. Ike, the protagonist of Path of Radiance and co-protagonist of Radiant Dawn, can be seen fighting for his friends and being basically useless in 1 vs. 1 combat in recent games in the Super Smash Bros series.

]]>Fire Emblem: Thracia 776http://timelyhoward.com/?p=188
Wed, 04 Feb 2015 06:08:23 +0000http://timelyhoward.com/?p=188Continue reading Fire Emblem: Thracia 776→]]>This interview was originally published in issue #9 of Nintendo Online Magazine (May, 1999). Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 is the fifth installment in theseries, the final Fire Emblem game released for the Super Famicom, and the last game released at retail for the system (in September of 1999). The story is set sometime between chapters 6 and 8 of the previous title in the series, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, and tells the story of Prince Leif, the child of two characters from the previous game who seeks to reclaim the glory of his kingdom.

This notoriously difficult strategy RPG is available through Nintendo’s Virtual Console service on the Wii and Wii U in Japan. It also got a pretty good manga adaptation. Leif got his own DLC chapter in Fire Emblem: Awakening and received an absolutely stunning makeover as part of the deal, but has otherwise been completely forgotten by humanity.

Developer Profile:

Shozo Kaga

Considered the creator of the Fire Emblem series of games, he worked as the director for the first five titles while also handling design and scenario work. After leaving Intelligent Systems in August of 1999 (one month before Thracia 776 was released), he founded his own company, Tirnanog, and went on to create the comically litigious Tear Ring Saga for the PS1.

We’ve infiltrated the offices of Intelligent Systems, located on the corner of an atmospheric neighborhood in Kyoto. Our aim today is to speak with one Mr. Shozo Kaga, game designer for the Fire Emblem series. Following our arrival, we partook in some of the delicious tea for which Kyoto is so well known and awaited Mr. Kaga. It was not long before he arrived–so calm and wise, carrying himself with the air of a respected university professor. We exchanged introductions, and had him speak at length about his feelings for the Fire Emblem series–its latest installment in particular, Thracia 776.

We simplified the story, and put everything we had into refining the game mechanics.

Thracia 776 is something of a supplement to Genealogy of the Holy War, which was the fourth title in the Fire Emblem series. For our plot, we took a single section of the previous game to hone in and expound upon. That said, it is still a relatively simple story, so it should be easy enough to follow even if you didn’t play Genealogy.

To tell the truth, our main focus for Genealogy was on creating a detailed story. The war simulation aspect suffered as a result, and it seems as though there were many people who found it dissatisfying compared to earlier titles. This time, we’ve done the exact opposite. We simplified the story, and put everything we had into refining the game mechanics.

As a war simulator, you’ll find it is actually much closer to the third Fire Emblem game, Mystery of the Emblem. You could say that we’ve returned to our roots. This is not the kind of game, however, that you can play with the intent of idly passing the time away. Success in this game will require the player’s absolute and undivided attention.

I don’t mean to harp on the difficulty, but it is not likely that players will be able to clear most maps on their first try. If you catch onto some key points it may be possible to figure it out in 30 minutes, but formulating the ideal strategy may take some people up to an hour.

Thracia, however, is not a puzzle game. If players are able to empathize with their units, imagining that they are there on the ground in the same situations the characters are, they will be to find the solutions they need to out of necessity. If you constantly remind yourself that it’s just a game, it becomes too easy to press forward without a care in the world, attempting to reach the end through brute force, don’t you think? I ask players to imagine that the game is reality. In real life, would there not be times that call for withdrawal, or even retreat?

By giving the players more options, they can now act more freely than ever before.

To speak a bit about the game systems: on a base level, it is the same as Mystery of the Emblem. That is to say, the campaign has you moving from one scenario to the next. The catch is that Thracia 776 does not run a set course, but splits, and the player has been given more room to make decisions. Each map has many challenges, you see–sub-missions, if you will. The number of maps a player will see depends on how they play. This means that depending on your performance, there may be some missions you simply never encounter. We expect that while playing, people will be able to intuit whether they’re doing sub-missions or not.

Furthermore, I think players can anticipate being very surprised by their enemies’ actions. My extremely talented staff have created a thoughtful, high-quality algorithm that we believe is good enough to outsmart players. Until now, I imagine there are many people who come to understand how the computer “thinks” the more they play and have been able to make enemy units dance to their tune, but things are different this time. In Thracia 776, the computer moves in ways that make it seem real–and almost human.

The algorithm that the computer uses changes per map. In most simulation games, for example… if there was a tank unit, that tank would use the same algorithm throughout the entire game, making the same moves on every single map. In Thracia 776, two of the same unit will move in totally different ways on different maps.

We’ve also experimented with the mechanics in several ways. Things we implemented during development ended up working out quite well, expanding the scope of the game and giving us even more ideas to work with. It was actually quite distressing. For example, we had the idea of making it possible for units called Dragon Knights to pick up one ally and carry them through the skies, and decided to run with it. Because of that, even if you were caged in by mountains on all sides, it’s suddenly possible to reach places you typically should not be able to. Basically, the more freedom we offer players, the more likely it is that they will move in ways we did not anticipate. Everything within the game needs to remain consistent despite that, and the amount of work that went into making sure it did was truly harrowing. But because we did, players are able to enjoy a greater level of freedom. Oh, and victory conditions, as well. This time, each map comes with its own unique set of victory conditions. Some maps may require you to escape unharmed, while others may require you to secure a particular location. Having this match up with the story we wanted to tell was quite challenging. With Thracia 776, I feel like we have succeeded in taking the series in a novel direction, and I am confident that fans of the series will be quite satisfied with the result.

The characters’ personalities are something we leave up to the players.

The characters in Fire Emblem are the very units you command, so while you may do your utmost to stay calm and devise a good strategy, your plans end up with holes in them. As players start to empathize with the characters they become prone to making errors in judgment, which cause their strategies to fall apart. (laughs) Like when someone has a favorite character and does everything they can to keep them safe. (laughs) This is something that would never happen in a game like Famicom Wars, where your units are generic weapons like tanks.

I’m willing to bet that most people have played through previous games in the series exclusively using characters they like–or rather, characters that are strong. Am I right? (laughs) In Thracia 776, you probably won’t make it very far playing that way. Powerful characters are more difficult to use than they used to be… or rather, we’ve introduced the element of the fatigue to the game, so that characters grow tired as they fight. It therefore won’t be possible to use these stronger characters every single map, so you’re going to need to raise all of your characters equally if you want to stand a fighting chance.

Thracia 776 will feature many characters that appeared in Genealogy, which I’m sure will make many fans happy. I think that each player has their own ideas in their heads of what these characters’ personalities are like, so I’m a bit worried about how people will react if there’s a gap between how the characters behave in-game and how they believe they should act.

This time, though, we’re leaving the characters’ personalities up to the players. Whether a character is kind or has a dry personality, or if they’re strong or weak-willed. I’d like the players to decide. Not just how they perceive the characters, but I expect it to influence how they have their characters move, as well. It may almost seem as though the way your character develops is affected by the actions they take on the battlefield.

I’ll say this much, though: the protagonist is weak. It would be unwise to expect much of him. (laughs)

I want players to experience the beauty–the drama that exists in tragedy.

To speak a bit more on the many ways the game can be played… aiming for a perfect game is fine, and so is just letting yourself be swept along on a path the game lays out for you. Play however you want to. So long as you enjoy yourself and finish the game, there is no “wrong” way to do it. However, I just want to say that a perfect game–that is, recruiting all characters, not letting a single one die, and seeing all the endings–is not my vision.

One thing I intend to express in my works is the beauty that is to be found in tragedy. Should a story have 50 characters, there is no way that every single one would survive. Drama is born when one among them becomes a sacrifice for the sake of the others, and that is something I want to treasure. There is a group of hardcore players who aim for something called a “no-reset game.” That is, not resetting and trying again should someone in your party fall in battle, but pressing on and continuing your journey while treasuring the memories of your fallen comrades.

I do not like war, but I find something romantic about situations where one has no choice but to fight.

I’m very interested in history, and I like heroic fantasies in particular. When seeking to recreate the kind of human drama that exists in those fantasies, I ended up settling on role-playing simulations as the best possible medium.

Mitsuhide Akechi is a historical figure of whom I am particularly fond. I am drawn to his humanity, and the more sensitive aspects of his character. He was too kind, too serious, and too good a human. For me, he is the embodiment of the “beauty of tragedy.” There is one character made in his image in each Fire Emblem game. Give it some thought, and see if you point any out.

While I may love history, I do not care for war. There are situations where people find they have no choice but to fight, and I find something very romantic about that. The war told of in Thracia776 is not one of good and evil, where the villain is punished and justice prevails. I ask our players to remain aware of that, and would be overjoyed if they were able to think of this as more than just a game.

This philosophy is reflected in the game mechanics, as well. Until now, it has always been a kill or be killed world, but we’ve now given players the ability to capture enemy units. That is to say, it is possible to make enemies into your prisoners. It’s incredibly difficult to do, but the option is still there, and I hope players find some value in that.

I would love to make an easier game next time.

Development of Thracia 776 began around the beginning of last year. We didn’t actually plan to make it into as big of a title it ended up being–we had originally planned for it to be a smaller, more compact experience that would serve as a side-story to Genealogy of the Holy War. Development was also supposed to end much sooner than it did, but once we started working on it we couldn’t help but keep going…

Had we known it would come to this, it would have been much easier to make it an entirely original story. We struggled an incredible amount trying to keep the game consistent with Genealogy’s setting. We needed to make a game that would simultaneously not raise eyebrows amongst players who enjoyed the previous title, while at the same time making it a complete, singular game that could stand on its own.

Well, at the moment we do have ideas floating about for future games in the series and for games on the Nintendo 64, but next time… I would love to make an easier game next time. (laughs) For the players, as well–a lighter experience that our players could pick up and enjoy. I hope we’ll be able to make it happen someday.